Guess who's the GOP's newest economic strategist!

[Linus Van Pelt]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/18324.html

Fresh off his stint as a war correspondent in Gaza, Joe the Plumber is now doing political strategy with Republicans.

When GOP congressional aides gather Tuesday morning for a meeting of the Conservative Working Group, Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher – more commonly known as Joe the Plumber — will be their featured guest. This group is an organization of conservative Capitol Hill staffers who meet regularly to chart GOP strategy for the week.

Wurzelbacher, who became a household name during the presidential election, will be focusing his talk on the proposed stimulus package. He's apparently not a fan of the economic rescue package, according to members of the group.

If nothing else, GOP aides are using the appearance to get staffers to attend the 9 a.m meeting.

“In case you weren’t planning to attend CWG tomorrow morning, you might want to reconsider because Joe the Plumber will be joining us!” Kimberly Wallner, an aide to South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, wrote in a message to her e-mail list this afternoon.

Last month, Wurzelbacher did a brief stint as a war reporter for the conservative web site pjtv.com.

(-Alex Isenstadt, The Politico)

[ChrisFromNJ]

[Landslide Lyndon]

[Franzl]

I've said it before. Joe the Plumber really needs to f**k off.

[Bacon King]

at this rate he'll be the next RNC chair

[Brittain33]

I guess it's understandable if they view him as a one-man focus group...

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Dude, it's around 20 minutes now. Give it up.

[Lief 🗽]

Joke. Party.

[Smash255]

^^^^^^^^

[paul718]

Joke. Party.

All he's doing is appearing as a guest at some meeting I know nothing about.  Maybe when he wins the nomination for a Senate seat.

[Smash255]

Joke. Party.

All he's doing is appearing as a guest at some meeting I know nothing about.  Maybe when he wins the nomination for a Senate seat.

Yes, but why are they giving time to someone whose whole shtick was one big fat lie?

[paul718]

Yes, but why are they giving time to someone whose whole shtick was one big fat lie?

Because Joe the Plumber was a way for the GOP to show that not all lower/middle-class people like the Obama idea of "spreading the wealth around".  Whether or not he'd benefit from Obama's plan is beside the point (though it does hinder the point), because people like him do exist.  Like the article says, it's just a way to get people to show up at the meeting. 

Is it well past the time for Joe to get off the stage?  Yes. 
Will the GOP be formulating policy based on Joe the Plumber's recommendations?  No.   

That's why I took issue with Lief's statement "Joke. Party." 

[Smash255]

Joke. Party.

All he's doing is appearing as a guest at some meeting I know nothing about.  Maybe when he wins the nomination for a Senate seat.

Yes, but why are they giving time to someone whose whole shtick was one big fat lie?

Because Joe the Plumber was a way for the GOP to show that not all lower/middle-class people like the Obama idea of "spreading the wealth around".  Whether or not he'd from Obama's plan is beside the point (though it does hinder the point), because people like him do exist.  Like the article says, it's just a way to get people to show up at the meeting. 

Is it well past the time for Joe to get off the stage?  Yes. 
Will the GOP be formulating policy based on Joe the Plumber's recommendations?  No.   

That's why I took issue with Lief's statement "Joke. Party." 

They didn't need to use someone who lied about his intentions of buying the company he worked for and someone who lied about how much $$ that company takes in to try and make that point....

[Reaganfan]

Yes, but why are they giving time to someone whose whole shtick was one big fat lie?

Because Joe the Plumber was a way for the GOP to show that not all lower/middle-class people like the Obama idea of "spreading the wealth around".  Whether or not he'd benefit from Obama's plan is beside the point (though it does hinder the point), because people like him do exist.  Like the article says, it's just a way to get people to show up at the meeting. 

Is it well past the time for Joe to get off the stage?  Yes. 
Will the GOP be formulating policy based on Joe the Plumber's recommendations?  No.   

That's why I took issue with Lief's statement "Joke. Party." 

Obama's whole policy means that if the people are living off unemployment and welfare, working people should take their hard earned money and just give it to those people. Any situation where money is given to people who don't earn it, it's liberalism.

That's why I am a staunch Conservative who comes from a non-Rich family. If I achieved wealth and success, that means I "owe" more to "society"? I don't think so.

[paul718]

They didn't need to use someone who lied about his intentions of buying the company he worked for and someone who lied about how much $$ that company takes in to try and make that point....

So take it up with the congressional aides responsible.  Not the whole party.

[Smash255]

They didn't need to use someone who lied about his intentions of buying the company he worked for and someone who lied about how much $$ that company takes in to try and make that point....

So take it up with the congressional aides responsible.  Not the whole party.

Well it is the whole party which is treating this guy whose entire shtick is based off a lie as some sort of folk hero.

[Reaganfan]

They didn't need to use someone who lied about his intentions of buying the company he worked for and someone who lied about how much $$ that company takes in to try and make that point....

So take it up with the congressional aides responsible.  Not the whole party.

Well it is the whole party which is treating this guy whose entire shtick is based off a lie as some sort of folk hero.

He's a cool guy who found his voice in our party. Leave it at that.

[Brittain33]

The background here is the media discussion about how Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin are now the de facto heads of the Republican Party, the only people really in touch with the base as it exists now and who can enforce discipline among elected representatives (Limbaugh, not Palin). Joe the Plumber is like a junior version of that. He doesn't have any of that power but he comes from the same world.

[paul718]

Well it is the whole party which is treating this guy whose entire shtick is based off a lie as some sort of folk hero.

I disagree.  Maybe Laura Ingraham and a few congressional aides, but not the whole party.

The background here is the media discussion about how Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin are now the de facto heads of the Republican Party, the only people really in touch with the base as it exists now and who can enforce discipline among elected representatives (Limbaugh, not Palin). Joe the Plumber is like a junior version of that. He doesn't have any of that power but he comes from the same world.

So were Olbermann, Franken, and Cindy Sheehan the de facto heads of the Democratic Party during the last four years?

[Holmes]

Seems appropriate for the GOP.

[Marokai Backbeat]

They didn't need to use someone who lied about his intentions of buying the company he worked for and someone who lied about how much $$ that company takes in to try and make that point....

So take it up with the congressional aides responsible.  Not the whole party.

Well it is the whole party which is treating this guy whose entire shtick is based off a lie as some sort of folk hero.

He's a cool guy who found his voice in our party. Leave it at that.

LOL

[Brittain33]

So were Olbermann, Franken, and Cindy Sheehan the de facto heads of the Democratic Party during the last four years?

Obama was for the last year; before that, Pelosi and Reid were weak leaders as majority leader/Speak; before that, it was chaos. None of the people you mentioned had the media reach or could compel a Congressman to recant and kowtow like Phil Gingrey had to last week. Rush would agree, K.O. is a minor player by comparison.

The other difference between 2005 and 2009 is that Sarah Palin is planning a comeback and is still wildly popular with the Republican base, while Kerry was viewed the same way McCain is.

[Smash255]

They didn't need to use someone who lied about his intentions of buying the company he worked for and someone who lied about how much $$ that company takes in to try and make that point....

So take it up with the congressional aides responsible.  Not the whole party.

Well it is the whole party which is treating this guy whose entire shtick is based off a lie as some sort of folk hero.

He's a cool guy who found his voice in our party. Leave it at that.

He is a guy who is only well known because he lied his ass off in order to get media attention

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

So were Olbermann, Franken, and Cindy Sheehan the de facto heads of the Democratic Party during the last four years?

Obama was for the last year; before that, Pelosi and Reid were weak leaders as majority leader/Speak; before that, it was chaos. None of the people you mentioned had the media reach or could compel a Congressman to recant and kowtow like Phil Gingrey had to last week. Rush would agree, K.O. is a minor player by comparison.

The other difference between 2005 and 2009 is that Sarah Palin is planning a comeback and is still wildly popular with the Republican base, while Kerry was viewed the same way McCain is.

John Edwards was planning a run for President as well in 2005.

[paul718]

So were Olbermann, Franken, and Cindy Sheehan the de facto heads of the Democratic Party during the last four years?

Obama was for the last year; before that, Pelosi and Reid were weak leaders as majority leader/Speak; before that, it was chaos. None of the people you mentioned had the media reach or could compel a Congressman to recant and kowtow like Phil Gingrey had to last week. Rush would agree, K.O. is a minor player by comparison.

I think Olbermann could do it.  Though MoveOn.org would be a better example.  

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I didn't mention Kerry.  But if I recall correctly, he was doing well in polling among Democrats (re: the 2008 nomination) after losing in '04.  My point is that Palin's popularity is based on name-recognition, and the fact that she's a lightning rod for criticism by liberals, more than anything else.  I doubt she'll be there in 2012.  I don't even think she'll end up running.  To be honest with you, I haven't heard anything from her since Election Day, except for interviews about her perceived treatment by the media.  You don't offer any evidence that she's the de facto head of the party.